Place of birth and dietary intake in Ontario. I. Energy, fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, fiber, and alcohol.
BACKGROUND
The importance of dietary intake in the prevention of major health problems is acknowledged. Because of the impact of culture on food intake, this study investigated the relationship between place of birth and nutrient intake in Ontario, using data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey.


METHODS
Adults (age = 18) were categorized as non-immigrants (born in Canada; n = 29,458) or immigrants (born outside of Canada, classified by countries of birth; n = 7,158). Energy, fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, and fiber intakes were examined, as well as alcohol consumption during the previous week. A companion article describes results for protein and selected micronutrients. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses investigated the association of place of birth with nutrient intakes, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and ethnicity.


RESULTS
Fat and carbohydrate intakes were strongly associated with place of birth, but cholesterol and fiber intakes were not. Immigrants, overall, were less likely than nonimmigrants to consume more fat (OR = 0.45, P < 0.0001), less carbohydrate (OR = 0.55, P < 0.0001), or more alcohol (OR = 0.64, P = 0.0004) than recommended. However, variations existed by country of birth.


CONCLUSIONS
Immigrants were generally more likely to meet recommendation for fat and carbohydrate intakes than were nonimmigrants. These healthy eating behaviors need to be reinforced as part of health promotion.
Pomerleau
J
J
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom. eepujpom@lshtm.ac.uk
Ostbye
T
T
Bright-See
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D002149:Energy Intake; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009864:Ontario; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012923:Social Class
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber